Refrigerator lock



March 18 1924. 1,487,478

A. RUBIN REFRIGERATOR LOCK Filed Nov. 17, 1922 2 BMW 6 7' TOE/YE Y5 Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

nn. STATES PATENT, osrics. I

ADOLPH RUBIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO SIEBER PRODUCTS MANUFAO v TUBING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSQURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

REFRIGERATOR Loon.

Application filed. November 17, 1822. Serial No. 6013504.

To all 707mm. "it may concern.

Be it known that I, AnoLrrl RUBIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St.

Louis, ll lissonri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Refrigerator Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to looks of the kind that are used for holding the door of a refrigerator or ice box in its closed position, and particularly, to refrigerator locks of the type that comprise a spring-actuated retaining device.

The spring looks that'are now in general use on refrigerators are of such design that if the spring breaks or becomes defective the member of the lock which carries the retaining device has to be removed from the door of the refrigerator in order to inspect, replace or repair the spring.

Another objectionable feature of prior refrigerator locks of the kind that comprise a spring-actuated retaining device is, that the retaining device soon becomes loose and wobbly, due to the fact that the retaining device and the member on which it is mounted are connected together by a pintle or pivot pin that passes through a plurality of relatively thin lugs or ears on said parts which have not sutlicient bearing area for the pivot pin to overcome the tendency of the retaining device to rock sidewise after the pivot pin or its co-operating bearing surfaces have become worn.

The main object of my invention is to provide a spring lock for refrigerators and ice boxes which is so constructed that the spring which acts on the retaining device of thelock can be inspected or replaced without bodily removing the member of the lock which carries the retaining device.

Another object of my invention is to provide a refrigerator or ice box lock that is equipped with a pivotally mounted retaining device which is of such design that there is little liability of its rocking sidewise or becoming loose and Wobbly after the lock has been in usefor an extended period.

Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out ignre 1 of the drawings is a front eles vational .view of a refrigerator or ice box lock constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 22 ofFigure 1'; and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, il lustrating a modification of my invention.

Referring to Figures and2 of thedrawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention. A designates the retaining device of my improved lock, B designates the catch with which said retaining device co0perates, C designates the member of the lock which carries the retaining device, D designates the-member of the lock which carrice the catch B and E designates a spring that normally exerts pressure on the retaining device A in a direction tending to hold it in engagement with the catch B, the member C of the lock being usually mounted on the door of the refrigerator in such a manner that when the door is moved into its closed position the retaining device A will snap into engagement with the catch 13 on the member D which issecured to a stationary part of the refrigerator adjacent the opening which the door closed.

In the form of my invention herein illustrated the retaining device A is pivotally mounted on the member 0 and is provided with a handle A for assisting the user to disengage the retaining device from the catch B when it is desired to open the door of the refrigerator. The spring E, instead of being arranged on the underside of the member C in such a manner that it can not be inspected or replaced without first disconnecting the member C from the door of the refrigerator, as is the usual practice, is combined with the member C in such a wav that it is normally concealed and hidden from view, but, is capable of being removed bodily from the member C without disturbing said member or disconnecting it from the door of the refrigerator, So far as this feature of my lock is concerned, it is immaterial what means is employed for housing the spring E and causing it to exert pressure on the retaining device A, and it is also im-- material whether the retaining device be of the pivotally mounted typeor of any other preferred -type. One convenient way of con s tr1,]cting the lock is to mount the spring E in a removable part or spring housing F that is normally arranged in an opening in the member C in such manner that the spring E will be concealed from view and so disposed with relation to the retaining device A that it will hold said retaining device in its operative position.

In the lock shown in Figures 1 and 2 the retaining device A is pivotally mounted on the member C and is provided with a part A shown in Figure 2, against which the upper end of the spring E bears. The member C is of such design that the part A of the retaining device is hidden from view, and said member C is provided with a hole, designated by the reference character 1 in Figures 1 and 2, through which the spring E can be inserted and removed into and out of engagement with the part A? ofthe retaining device. The spring housing F previously referred to that normally conceals the spring E consists of a tubular-shaped member open at its upper end and provided at its lower end with an end wall 2, as shown in Figure 2, that serves as an abutmentfor the lower end of the spring E. Normally, the spring housing F is mounted on the member C in such a manner that the upper end of said spring housing will. project upwardly through the hole 1 in the member C and the lower end of said spring will bear against a shelf or forwardly-projecting lug 3 on the front side of the member G whose top face is provided with a recess or depression 3 that serves a seat for the converted lower end of the spring housing F. Due to the fact that the spring E is normally compressed between the part A of the retaining device and the lower end wall 2 of the spring housing F, said'spring will exert pressure on the retaining device in such a way that said retaining device will be held in readiness to engage the catch 13 when the door on which the member 0 is mounted is moved into its closed position. Moreover, the expansive force of the spring E exerts a downward thrust on toe spring housing F, thereby causing the converted lower end of said spring housing to be held firmly seated in the recess 3 in the forweirdly-projecting shelf 3 on the front side of the member C. if it is desired to inspect the spring E, this can be accomplished easily by simply moving the spring housing F up wardly sufficiently to disengage the lower end of same from the shelf or abutment 3 on the member C, then bodily moving the spring housing F forwardly into the position shown in broken lines in Figure 2, and thereafter withdrawing the upper end portion of the spring housing F from the opening 1 in the member 0 it being, of course understood that the spring and spring housing F are combined. as a sin le unit, thereby insuringthe removal of the spring when the spring housing is disconnected from the member C. If the spring is un broken considerable upward pressure will have to be exerted on the spring housing F in order to disengage the lower end of said housing from the recessed seat in the'forwardly-p'rojecting shelf 3 on the member C, but if the spring is broken, practically no force is required to move the spring housing F upwardly, so as to disengage it from the portion 3 of the member C, due to the fact that the expansive force of the spring is utilized to maintain the spring housing F in operative relationship with the member C which carries it.

From he foregoing it will be seen that my invention makes it possible to inspect or replace the actuating spring of a refrigerator or ice boxlock without first removing the member of the lock which carries the retaining device of the lock, this desirable feature being accomplished by providing the member of the lock that carries the retaining device with. a hole or opening through which the actuating spring can be replaced and removed.

In Figure 3 of the drawings I have illustrated another form of my invention wherein the spring housing F is provided at its upper end with an externally screw-threaded portion d that isscrewed into the hole in the member C through which the actuating spring E is inserted and removed, said hole being formed in a portion of the member C that lies directly beneath the part A of the retaining device against which the upper end of the spring E bears. A. look of the construction shown in Figure 3 has all of the desirable features and characteristics of the lock shown in Figures 1 and 2, nan'iely the actuating spring E is normally concealed from view and it is combined with the member C in such a manner that it can be removed and replaced by a new spring without first disconnecting the member C from the door of the refrigerator, the removal of the spring being accomplished by simply unscrewing the spring housing F from a portion of the member G into which the upper end of the spring housing is threaded.

While I prefer to equip the lock witha tubular-shaped spring housing that encases the actuating spring and provide said housing with an end wall that serves as an abutment for the lower end of thespring, it is not essential that the lock be constructed in this particular manner, for it is obvious that the same result could be accomplished by interposing the actuating spring between a part on the retaining device and a co-operating part on the member which carries the retaining device and equipping said member with a removable portion whose main function is to conceal the actuating spring and 1 sienna close the opening in said member through which the spring is inserted and removed.

In order to produce a refrigerator or ice box lock that is exceptionally strong and rugged and of such design that the retaining device isnot apt to become loose and wobbly, theretaining device is provided with a relatively large and wide bearing for the pintle or pivot pin G which connects the retaining device to the member C. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the handle A of the retaining device A is integrally connected at its upper end to a relatively long, tubular bearing A through which the pintle Gr passes, said bearing being arranged horizontally between a pair of forwardly-projecting ears 5 and 5 on the member C, to which the end portions of the pintle G are permanently connected in any suitable manner, as, for example, by expanding-or enlarging the end portions of the pintle after it has been positioned in the ears 5 and 5 By permanently connecting the pintle or pivot pin G to the member C and providing the retaining device with a relatively long, tubular bearing A which fits snugly between a pair of widely spaced, forwardly-projecting ears on the member 0 which carries the retaining device, there is less liability of the retaining device becoming loose and wobbly than in a refrigerator lock of the kind now in general use, in-

which the retaining device is provided'with a bifurcated portion composedof two relatively thin side pieces, one of which is arranged between relatively thin side pieces of a bifurcated portion on the member of the lock which carries the retaining device.

Due to the fact that the forwardly-projecting ears 5 and 5 on the member C are spaced relatively far apart, it is possible to provide the retaining device with a relatively wide part A that forms a substantial abutment or bearing for the upper end of the actuating spring E, said part A being provided with a depending guide 6, as shown in Figure 2,'that projects into the upper end coils of the spring E. The particular shape or form of that portion of the retaining device which co-operates with the catch B is immaterial, but I prefer to make said portionin "the form of a horizontallydisposed pin that projects laterally from one side of an angularly-disposed arm 7 on one end of the part A of the retaining device against which the upper end of the actuating spring bears, said part A being extended laterally, as shown in Figure 1, and the ear 5 on the member C being cut away so as to provide for the rocking movement of the part A of the retaining device. This particular detail of construction is not important, but it is desirable, in that it enables the lock to be formed from two castings that are rugged and strong enough to procomprising a retaining device, a member that carries saiddevice, an actuating spring for said device adapted to be inserted and removed through an opening in said memher, and a removable closure for said open ing.

3. A look of the character referred to, comprising a retaining device, a member that carries said retaining device, an actuating spring for said device, and a removable element on said member serving as an abut ment for one end of said spring and capable of being removed from said member so as to disengage the said spring from said retaining device.

4. A lock of the character referred to, comprising a retaining device, a member that carries said device, an actuating spring for said device, and aremovable spring housing on said member that holds said spring in operative relationship with said retaining device.

5. A look of the character referred to, comprising a pivotally mounted retaining device, a member that carries said device, an actuating spring for said device, and a removable element on said member that houses said spring and maintains it in operative relationshipcwith said retaining device. V

6. A look of the character referred to, comprising a pivotally mounted retaining device, a member that carries said device, a spring arranged in engagement with a portion of said device that is concealed by said member, and a removable housing for said sprmg.

7 A look for the purpose described, comprising a pivotally mounted retaining device, a member that carries said device, an actuating spring that bears on a portion of said retaining device concealed by said member, and a removable housing for said spring that is maintained in operative relationship with an abutment on said member by the expansive force of said spring.

8, A look of the character referred to, comprising a pivotally mounted retaining device, a member that carries said device, an actuating spring for said. device, said member having an opening through which said spring can be inserted and removed, and a housing for said spring positioned in said opening and arranged in engagementwvith an abutment on said member.

9. A look of the character referred to, comprising a pivot-ally mounted retaining device, a member that carries said device, an actuating spring for said device, and a removable spring housing on said member consisting of a substantiallytubular-shaped element provided at one end with a wall against which one end of the spring bears.

10. A lock of the character reterre-d to, comprising a plvotally mounted retaining 'device, a member that carries said device,

an actuating spring for said device, a substantially tuhnlar sl1apcd housing surrounding said spring, and an abutment on said member against which one end of said housing is held by the expansive force of said sprin 11. A look of the character referred to, comprising a pivotally mounted retaining device, a member that carries said device,

votally mounted retaining device provided with a relatively long, tubular bearing interposed between said ears, an actuating spring arranged in engagement with a portion otsaid retaining device that is concealed by said supporting member, said supporting member having an opening through which said spring can be inserted and removed, and a housing for said spring-detachably connected to said supportmg member.

ADOLPH RUBIN. 

